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Monday, July 21, 2014

Show day 3 left all the riding to my trainer. They didn't offer a .80 meter this day, but they did offer a .90 meter in the big grand prix ring.

I did stick to my routine and lunged him when I first arrived in the morning. By day 3 Liam was really tired and pretty relaxed. He probably didn't even need a lunge, but I decided to stick with routine for him. We hand grazed by the ring till about 7:15am and then headed back to his stall and tacked up slowly.

Walked him over the ring and my trainer hopped on.

Liam walking around calmly on a loose rein

At this point I was able to get a good look at the ring. The jumps looked set at a solid .90 meter and there was some really fun looking jumps on the course. I knew Liam would be jumping hard. My trainer started warming up and Liam looked nice and relaxed. After a few minutes she had me come in the ring and set warm up jumps and Liam really was being great. We finished warming up and was able to head right into the ring.

The course was a power and speed round with 14 jumps total. With the first 8 being the power and last 6 being the speed round. The first jump was a solid square natural oxer with an 8 stride bending line to a very spooky stone wall lamp post oxer. Left roll back to a vertical 5 stride line to an vertical in and oxer out 1 stride combination. Right turn 90 degree to a very wide solid square blue oxer. Left turn to yellow and orange oxer 4 strides to another 1 stride vertical in and vertical out to a bending 6 stride line to a huge square yellow oxer. This ended the power part of the round.

Liam jumped the crap out of jump 1 and 2. Handled the left turn to the vertical 5 strides to the 1 stride in and out line like a champ. He was late on his change on the right bending 90 degree and got a little flat and had a rail at the blue oxer, bummer we aren't going to make it to the power round. What I am most proud of is how he handled the last combination line. He had to jump the big yellow and orange oxer and whoa in 4 strides to the vertical/vertical in and out, then bend in 6 strides to another huge oxer. He went through that combination like an old educated show horse. I am sure my trainer riding helped, but I couldn't of been more proud of my boy at this current moment.

Three years ago we were a fire breathing dragon to ride to now negotiating around a tricky hard course. Liam got many good boy pats and mints after that tough course.

I slowly packed up the trailer and took my boy home for some turnout and relaxation for 2 days to start week 2 four days later.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Last Thursday was show day 2 for Liam and I. The plan for the day was for me to do one .80 and for my trainer to do Liam over a .90 class.

We had a huge storm come through overnight and I pulled into the horse show at about 6:15am to a soggy mess. I quickly sent my husband a text to not drive my car to the show grounds as it would get stuck. I fish tailed it all the way to the tents to park with the truck. I thought, hopefully the grounds dry out by the time I need to leave later or I am never going to get out of here.

I arrived to Liam's stall to a wide eyed horse ready for his morning lunge. He just needs that 10 minutes on the lunge to move around. After the lunge we headed over near the ring to hand graze.

The photographers got this beautiful picture of Liam and I hand grazing.

Popped Liam back in his stall to walk the course. My course had one tricky turn in it that I was a bit concerned about from jump 1 to 2, but my trainer was confinced that I could handle the inside turn without a problem. Went back and tacked up Liam and headed off to the schooling ring. Liam was quiet. Hopped over a few jumps, trying to wake Liam up and then headed into the ring.

Liam seemed half awake to jump 1, 2, and 3. The turn from jump 1 to 2 wasn't as bad as I thought we just were kind of backwards and he never changed his lead. Tried to wake him up from 2 to 3, but I failed to get him balanced, just opened up his stride, so got a flyer to 3 whiched ended up in a rail. Then we were awake and the rest of the course was beautiful. I was all smiles leaving the ring again.

For our efforts in the .80s this week we walked away with a rail in each class, but some ribbons out of 16! Yay!

After my class, Liam was able to go get hosed off and a short rest in his stall before he had to come out to show in the .90 class. I tacked him up and my trainer hopped on. He warmed up beautiful.

Nice and relaxed canter in the schooling ring.

My trainer and Liam learning the course.

Then it was time for them to go in. The jumps were a solid .90 meters. As my trainer was walking in the ring I said to her, good luck and by the way this is the biggest course this horse has ever jumped. Liam preformed beautiful. He was a little green in the combination and drifted right and had a rail, but the rest of the course was very nice. I am really proud of my boy.

The plan for the next day was to have Alicia do 1 .90 class in the big grand prix ring. All our classes so far were in the side ring (which is pretty big too).